Why Vancouver owns Seattle [View all]

http://matadornetwork.com/life/why-vancouver-owns-seattle/

Why Vancouver owns Seattle
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Since the 1950s, Vancouver has pushed growth vertically with residential highrises closely surrounding the business core of downtown, making the whole city easily walkable. Seattle, on the other hand, has been described as “a city of neighborhoods.” Over a dozen distinct neighborhoods are found peripheral to downtown, each a virtual independent town, yet all officially part of the city. Downtown itself is almost completely occupied by industry and office buildings and has very little livable space. It generally has to be reached by bike or motorized transportation from the surrounding neighborhoods.
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In Vancouver, a similar system for medicinal pot is in place. Taking it a step further, minor use and possession is virtually decriminalized completely. Some of the city’s cafes like New Amsterdam even permit dope smoking on their premises, with local law enforcement tending to look the other way. It’s a tenuous balance, however, as local or federal law enforcement can choose to enforce the laws at their discretion.
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Finally, the thing I care most about: natural beauty and recreation. Seattle has coastline — Puget Sound — and the Cascade Mountains that surround the city give a sea-to-mountains range of recreational options. But just like its urban layout, Vancouver’s recreation is more accessible, diverse, and condensed.

Just on the edge of downtown is Stanley Park, an enormous place with dozens of beaches, over 100 miles of trails and roads, and numerous attractions and facilities such as the Vancouver Aquarium. Public transport can get you to any of the city’s three nearby ski areas, and beyond the city the options just get better. You can drive up the road to Squamish, or a little further to Whistler and have access to some of the most intense climbiing, biking, and skiing on the continent.